MQA is Vaporware

[AudioDoctor]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

P.S. I’ve always thought the Ever Given was sabotaged. Those boats all have auto pilot to keep them where they’re supposed to be. 

 

I doubt they use auto pilot in a canal that tight.

 

I haven't really investigated it, but if the engine failed, as I have heard, it makes sense that it would drift/be pushed by the wind. In a canal that narrow, that can never end well.

[AudioDoctor]

14 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

The auto pilot can keep them where they are supposed to be, better than humans in tight canals I believe. 

 I don't want to contribute to more Off Topic conversation here, so unless the captain was listening to MQA tracks from TIDAL, I'll pm you.  ;-)

[AudioDoctor]

Its clear who doesn't listen to the Audiophile Style Podcast here...  ;-)

[AudioDoctor]

1 minute ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I didn't want to say it :~)

 

Good cop, Bad cop...

[AudioDoctor]

Just imagine the money that the record companies would have saved if they all decided to make music easily available rather than attempt to try and control it at every turn. They would probably make more money too.

[AudioDoctor]

18 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

If we have Qobuz, Amazon HD, Deezer lossless, Spotify lossless, and Apple HiFi, I can’t see a reason why anyone would use Tidal. Nothing beats paying more and getting less. 

 

Roon has been promoting artists in their Instagram stories as well as their feed, and it strongly favors TIDAL.

[AudioDoctor]

9 minutes ago, Currawong said:

Audirvana is releasing a Roon competitor, Audirvana Studio too, the ad of which is below my reply box as I type this. 

 

But Apple not only having lossless available, but high-res is fantastic. If anything could kill off MQA, or reduce it to insignificance, it'd be that.

 

I read earlier today that the 18th is the alleged date for the announcement from Apple.

 

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/05/14/airpods-hifi-apple-music-launch-may-18/

[AudioDoctor]

55 minutes ago, katools said:

Recently there were posts requesting that Roon stop selecting mqa content over high res pcm when they exist locally or on Qobuz.  No coincidence their software will choose to play the charlatan's work.

 

Don't subscribe to Tidal and Roon won't suggest it... It seems an easy fix that none of those people seem to understand.

[AudioDoctor]

I am the most casual of casual observers, and just by scanning the discussions here I feel I have a pretty good grasp of the fact that mqa is not what it is purported to be, and even why. Along with the proofs.

 

Unless someone from MQA can convincingly explain why a test signal is any different than a musical signal, and I doubt they can because I can undoubtedly guarantee I can find a song, somewhere, with that exact signal someplace in it if I tried hard enough, then any further discussion of the point is moot, and Stereophile trying hard as they are to convince us otherwise is highly "sus", to quote my 9 year old.

[AudioDoctor]

My experimenting with Apple Music ended today when I cancelled my subscription. I know that Apple won't care because there are many many people that are subscribed, but it makes me feel better.

[AudioDoctor]

57 minutes ago, FredericV said:

Now we need a blue light on record players, when an MQA record is being played ....


Lossy++

 

You've got to be fucking kidding...

[AudioDoctor]

So... if that entire project was done using MQA technology... does that mean that this is an MQA file converted back to FLAC?

 

edit: Is this an ultra sneaky way of sneaking MQA out to places that are hostile to it?

[AudioDoctor]

On 6/28/2021 at 12:31 PM, JoshM said:

 

I hope one of our tech sluths can figure out of the Qobuz and HDT files are MQA-free. 
 

This is a release I was really looking forward to…

 

AS I see it, if they mastered (ruined) the entire project with MQA they could then convert it into any format they wanted but the damage would already be done. It could be a FLAC file with no MQA except in the mastering.

[AudioDoctor]

21 minutes ago, mfsoa said:

Kinda like publicly castigating masks and vaccines to make $$$ while requiring employees to submit vaccination records and wear masks. What kind of organization would do something like that? 

 

I know the answer to this.

[AudioDoctor]

5 minutes ago, firedog said:

What Hi-Fi is worthy of scorn for lots of reasons that have nothing to do with MQA. And you don't have to be in the anti-MQA "tribe" to realize it's not really a serious mag and is captured by the industry - it's a mouthpiece for  industry practices masquerading as a magazine that gives serious reviews. 

 

Hey come on now, What Hi-Fi is great if you want to read the manufacturers ad copy...

[AudioDoctor]

6 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

It's collection all in one place for you. Very convenient. 

 

Right! I can compare them to each other and decide which I like best to help with my purchase decisions!

[AudioDoctor]

11 minutes ago, Revelation said:

Wow, so may pages...All I can say is I use my ears. I like the Tidall MQA Masters better than the sound I get from Spotify or Apple. So if I am going to use digital music besides using my Denon CD player and Dual CS 5000 turntable, Tidal is what sounds best clearly out of the 3. Yeah there are other music streaming services out there but for me it works and Im happy with it. Not always, but for about 90% of the time I am happy. I looked at Deezer but I like the way Tidal looks, operates and they have more music.

 

What do you guys listen to for streaming services if you don't like Tidal and want quality music. It seems all streaming services have filters and add some type of spatial effect to the music.

 

qobuz. No MQA, no spatial nonsense, no nothing but the highest quality streaming thats truly lossless.

[AudioDoctor]

On 12/27/2021 at 11:55 AM, mrjktcvs said:

I'm not sure who else distributes MQA-processed files besides Tidal, but technical discussions are a non-starter for me when they have holes in their catalog. What other ubiquitous music service doesn't have Samantha Fish's Wild Heart album, published in 2015? I'm with deezer, thanks.

 

You mean this on Qobuz?

 

[AudioDoctor]

1 hour ago, Revelation said:

I don't like the format of the bands in Qobuz. Check out the Beatles and compare it to Tidal. Tidal has the albums in the right order. It's all thrown together in Qobuz. The library is smaller too. Hmm will have to compare the two more carefully 

 

 

 

 

The choice is, do you want a pretty interface but worse music, or do you want to support the guys bringing you the best quality music, and who are working on a better interface as a much smaller company.

Which one would you like to see succeed and be around in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?

[AudioDoctor]

13 minutes ago, Stereo said:

Qobuz definitely sounds better than Tidal. Qobuz should be working on the layout of it’s artist’s pages. Last report was it may be updated sometime this month however Qobuz is a small company with a limited number of workers and they are slow to update even from their stated timelines. But they say they have been working on it at least so maybe they will deliver on it soon. Qobuz needs a slap upside the head to understand that they really need to enlarge their catalog to be equal or better than the competition. Sound quality does no one any good if there isn’t anything to listen to. They shouldn’t be using the tagline “we are the music lovers” until they actually have all the music to listen to available. In the meantime send them feedback telling them this as the more customers asking the better and at the very least you can request an individual title here:  https://airtable.com/shrWFlthbAGjTSuJu

 

No one has "all" the music there is to listen to.

[AudioDoctor]

@mrjktcvs, I think you quoted the wrong person.

[AudioDoctor]

3 minutes ago, mrjktcvs said:

I'm a newbie here, and don't know how to respond to a post without quoting. I didn't want to include your image again, so I deleted it, but the post was in response to your finding the Fish album on Quobuz.

 

for future reference you can quote the response and write your reply underneath it, like I am doing here, or you can use the "@" symbol, and the username and it will show like this @mrjktcvs

[AudioDoctor]

On 1/3/2022 at 4:57 PM, Don Blas De Lezo said:

 

So you got the Qobuz option where you get an analog signal out of the Qobuz converters and into a line in on your pre/amp ?  What kind of cable do Qobuz use out of their Mytek converters and into your home ? If its silver or silver-coated , that can also contribute to brightness or edgy-ness .  I have so many more questions but I must now continue to roll around on my living room floor whilst stabbing myself in the eye with a plastic fork much to the bemusement of my wife .   

 

YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?  MAN, I HAVE EVEN MORE...

[AudioDoctor]

On 1/3/2022 at 2:24 PM, Revelation said:

I got Qobuz going on my NAD preamp and Focal Aria speakers. I found some songs sound better than Tidal,  Tidal sounding better Qobuz and some sound too similar to say which one is better.

 

1. The Beatles remixed Let it Be album. Get Back sound great on both. 

2. Rolling Stones Tatto you: Start me Up. Tidal sounded better. There was a slight edge on the snare drum on Qobuz. 

3. Donald Fagen Nightfly IGY. Tidal is warmer and louder. The CD is closer to Qobuz which sounds better than Tidal.

4. Rolling Stones.  A rock and a hard place. Qobuz is a very clean and slightly edgy. Tidal sounds better...though very similar, it just does not have that edge. 

5. The Eagles Hotel California from Hell Freezes over. I hear that same crystal slightly hard edge on Qobuz that I heard on A rock and a hard place. Tidal is slightly more easy on your ears.

 

I know converters and it sounds like Qobuz are using Mytek converters which have a very open detailed sound but slightly edgy on the top end.

 

That's not the revelation you think it is...

[AudioDoctor]

13 hours ago, Nikhil said:

 

At this point I might pay more for gear that does not offer mqa!

 

 

.

 

I wonder which manufacturer will be the first to advertise their lack of MQA as loudly as others advertise they have it.